


Bloody All-Satrs

by orphan_account



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-20
Updated: 2014-06-06
Packaged: 2018-01-25 19:55:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1660535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Riley lost her twin brother Ricean a long time ago, and since then she's been alone, holed up in an old hunting shack. She thought often about her best friend, and it saddened her that she would never seen him again. She was ten years old and alone in a wold full of things that want to kill her, and people that want to do much worse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bloody All-Stars

Riley walked slowly through the trees, crossbow held up to her face. She never really thought she'd ever use the lessons he uncle had given her, but now she thought herself lucky. She wasn't extremely good at shooting but she could get squirrels and rabbits to feed herself with. She drew a deep breath as she caught a large rabbit in her crosshairs. Sweat beaded and rolled into her eyes as she took a moment to aim. Suddenly there was a snap of twigs behind her, and she whirled around on the sound so fast she was dizzy.  
" Woah! Woah, dont' shoot. Not here to hurt ya," Riley didn't trust the man standing in front of her. He had a crossbow at his back as well and a hand on the knife that was on his belt.  
" How do I know you ain't one of those men?" She asked evenly, keeping the man's head in her scope. The man frowned and tilted his head a bit.  
"Which men?" Riley swallowed hard and blinked furiously. The thought of what had happened to Maisy infuriated her.  
" The ones who raped the lady I was with. They raped her, killed her, then roasted her leg on a spit." She spat on the ground the control the bile that threatened to push it's way up her throat.  
" Naw...I ain't one of those men. I killed some though. Men like that." The comment made Riley lower her bow and stare at him.  
" Do you swear?" She put a hand on her knife and stepped forward, getting closer to the guy so she could stick him easier.  
" Yeah, kid, I'm not the lying sort" Riley snorted. She gripped her knife in her sweaty palm and lunged, but the guy's fist connected with her face before she got the chance to do anything.  
" I really didn't want to do that. You left me no other choice. Remember that." Riley saw in double as the man hoister her up over his shoulder and started walking. Se wondered if it looked like she was dead. She hadn't had a bath in nearly a year and a half, and she was covered head to toe in blood and dirt. her hair was cut short at all odd angles because she'd gone at it with a knife. She looked crazy, but she wasn't. Just alone. Just scared. 

Riley hand't noticed shed gone to sleep until she was tied to something cold and hard with her arms tied behind her back.  
" What?" She wondered aloud her voice was a dry croak that stuck hard in her throat and made her cough. She blinked a few times and looked around, it seemed...it seemed she was in a prison. She cuffed to a table on the cold floor.  
" Oh, you're awake," it was a man. he looked young and asian, he closed a book and walked over to her and looked at her questionably.  
" What's your name?" he seemed nice enough, but Riley didn't want to take a chance. She just stared at her shoes. They were too small for her now, and it sorta hurt to stuff her feet in them but that didn't matter. They were, well used to be white converse. They were crimson now. She just stared at her bloody Converse and studied them hard, hoping the guy would leave her alone.  
" I'm Glenn, if it makes any difference," it didn't " I'm not gonna hurt you or anything. I just want to help. We all do." Riley just kept looking at her shoes, not speaking a word.  
" Okay then.." Glenn said, standing up and running a hend through his hair. " We have water and a bit of food here for you if you want it. But you have to talk first." Food and water, god how wonderful that sounded. She'd been living off of cherries, wild strawberries and squirrel and rabbit for the last week and a half. She refused to break though, she wouldn't bend so easily. 

In the two days that passed by tons of people came to talk to her. A kind faced, grey haired woman named Carol who'd offered her peaches, a sweet girl named beth who was holding a baby who was called Judith. Riley had liked seeing the baby. She'd looked up from her shoes for that, and little Judith had smiled at her. It was rounding on her third day of not eating a thing and staring at her shoes when Merle came in.  
" Alright, lil' lady we're gettin tired of your locked lips," he said, swaggering in with the posture of a man who had intent to harm. Riley noticed immediately that he was missing a hand, and attached to the stump was some sort of contraption that held a blade.  
" Now either you start talkin', or I make you talk." Riley didn't say anything, and looked at the toes of her shoes, they were wearing, and if she wiggled her big toe just right she could see a bit of her sock.  
" guess I'm gonna have to make you talk then," He said. Riley hadn't seen him draw back his fist, if she had, perhaps she would have tried to dodge it. It landed solidly o her face, opening a cut on her forehead.  
" What's your name?" Riley opened her mouth to speak, but her throat was dry and word didn't come out. He hit her again and again and again, asking her questions until the man, the one she met in the woods rushed into the room.  
" Merle! What the fuck do you think you're doin'?" the man, supposedly Merle wiped Riley's blood off his fst and shrugged.  
" Well, she came at you with a knife lil brother. I thought Id help you out and get some answers." the man, Merle shrugged as the other entered the room looking horrified.  
" She's just a kid!" he unlocked her cuffs and picked her up. His face up close looked kind and caring. He carried her off somewhere. She couldint tell where, as here good eye was swelling up. She coughed, and blood dribbled down her chin.  
" I'm sorry kid he meant well. He can't be doin those sort f things.." The an trailed off and opened a gate.  
" Rick!" the man supposedly called rick ran up to them and grabbed Riley by the shirt collar and pressed her against the wall.  
" Who are you?" the man behind rick was totally losing his shit, waving his arms in the air questioningly.  
" Is it okay now to beat up little girls? The hell did that happen? Ain't nobody told me!" This man, Rick looked her hard in the eye, he coldness made her want to shiver.  
" Who are you? Are you a spy for the Governor?" A spark lit in Riley's chest. She didn't know who the Governor was, or anyone else really but she knew this man.  
" M...Mr. Grimes?"


	2. Beans and Taters

Riley was still pressed up against the wall, feet dangling helplessly when Rick finally spoke.  
" how do you know my name?" There was something awful wrong, Riley thought. Mr. Girmes' used to have kind eyes and laugh lines, but now all she saw was mean and hurt.  
"You used to work with my mama, remember?" Riley asked, her breath coming to he harder now as she tried to ignore the emotion that flooded her when she thought about her mother. " You..your wife..Mrs. Lori, she used to take my brother and I home from school because Ma wasn't home in time..." Rick's eyes softened, and he set her down on the floor, then bent down level with her, the other people around them stared.  
"Riley?" He asked, softly taking her bony, nearly emaciated face into his hands holding it there.  
" Yeah," She said, her voice a soft squeak. Rick pulled her to him and hugged her to him tight. She'd forgotten what it was like to be touched. To be hugged and spoken to. It made her uncomfortable, but at the same time she was so happy she wanted to cry. She didn't, though.  
" Mr. Grimes...Is....is Carl okay?" Carl was her best friend in the whole world. Maybe now the only. Rick nodded and smiled a bit, he took her by the hand and just kept smiling. Funny thing was, was smiling too. 

While Rick went to get Carl, the nice woman, Carol, helped her get clean.  
"You look hungry," Carol said, poking at too visible ribs, making Riley flinch. " How long has it been since you've eaten?" Riley had to actually think about it, which said plenty.  
" I was huntin' just before I got here. But I have some stuff at the shack. Cherries and acorn bread and stuff. Not much." carol nodded and scrubbed her arms and face clean of the muck.  
"Well, we'll have to go back, won't we?" Riley nodded uncertainly. What was she doing? She was sitting in a wash basin full of sun warmed water and taking a bath, telling all of her food secrets to a woman she hardly knew at all.  
" They might not fit too well, but here are some old clothes of..of my daughter's." Riley took the clothes, grateful for something that would actually fit her better than the too-big-even-when-rolled-up jeans she's been wearing for the past year.  
" Thank You. Honestly." Carol nodded and walked away. 

" Wow, there's a face under there," Glenn was with her now, and she couldn't help but feel a but guarded. Glenn was different though, she felt like she could talk to him.  
" A bruised one," Glenn looked down and scoffed a bit, shaking his head.  
" I know how it feels kid, you'll be fine n a few days." Riley arched an eyebrow.  
" I know that." Glenn shrugged and put a plate of beans and mashed potatoes in front of her and she gasped.  
" You're serious? You don't want some?" Glenn laughed and pointed at the plate.  
" There's not much there." Riley supposed he was right, but it looked like a lot to her. " Go on, eat up." Glenn suddenly looked sad as she ate the food as slowly as she could. It was good, so good to have something other than burnt squirrel and fruit in her stomach. The door opened and closed behind them, and Riley looked behind her. Rick came back in with somebody trailing behind him.  
" Holy shit.." RIley breathed. It really was him. Carl really was alive. She got up and walked slowly towards him, her hand reflexively going to her hip, but there was no knife there.  
" Who are you?" carl asked, uncertain. Apparently Rick had wanted it to be a surprise.  
" I'll give you a guess," Riley said with a smirk. " In first grade, we went to the haunted maze at the Write's house. You got so scared you had to hold my hand..." There was silence for a moment before Carl ran towards her and gave her a hug.  
" I thought you were dead! Mom..Mom wouldn't let me go down to your house to see if you were there before we left..I tried, I promise!" Riley shrugged and smiled.  
" I'm here though." there was still an unspoken question between them, and Riley buried her hands deep in the pockets of her borrowed pants.  
" I...I don't know where Ricean is. Or if he's alive. He stayed after school the day the army came. He still might be there, I never got a chance to check." Everyone was around, faces Riley didn't know well.  
" Do you have anyone with you?" Rick asked, as everyone else got plates of mashed potatoes and beans and Riley got a second. She shook her head. Her smile was gone.  
" I was...in the beginning. Ma had already..she's been chomped on and I had to get out of the house. There was and old couple who saw me and picked me up. Said they had a huntin' shack in the woods somewhere where it would be safe. They said they were Navajo indian, at least their ancestors were. They taught me a whole bunch of stuff. how to make acorn bread and jelly and stuff out of wild strawberries. how to trap fish and rabbits and deer and stuff. They also gave me a book written by the women's great great grand father about edible plants." Glenn nodded. A woman sat next to him and looked at her with a sort of intensity that made her want to hide, everyone was looking at her strangely, to be honest, but she brushed it off and set her cleaned plate down.  
" I didn't get to stay with them long though. They both died. They were old, but I couldn't stay there anymore, so I took the crossbow they had and a bit of food and head out. I met Maisy when I was gettin' crowded on by Chompers. She saved my ass more times than I can count. But...she got eaten." The food in Riley's stomach threatened to reappear as the images of dismembered body parts popped back into her mind.  
" By what, walkers?" Carl asked, fiddling with his fork after he'd taken the last bite of his food.  
" No, people." there was a bit of a gasp from the group around her. " They raped her, killed her, then chopped her up and roasted her over the campfire." An elderly man with a crutch spoke next. He looked pale and kind of reminded her of Santa Claus.  
" How did you escape?" Riley sighed.  
" I didn't. I wasn't even there when it first started happening...I just got there in time to see them chop her damn leg off and start roasting it over the fire." The old man nodded, and Riley felt like he was someone she'd want to listen to, someone who had had and educational life and knew how to handle things well.  
" And what did you do then?" Riley's face fell ashen, as she was truly ashamed of her actions. The man seemed to see this in her face, and he hobbled over to her.  
" We've all done things we regret. " That was all she needed to finish the story  
" I killed them. There was only three, but I got them with my Bow from a tree before they could even blink. Then I screamed nd hollered as loud as I could so the Chompers would come and get them." there was a silence in the room for a while, and Riley felt judged, she felt like a monster.  
" I did it because I was mad. because if they could do it to Maisy then they could do it to other people too. I didn't want them hurtin' anyone else, so I did what I had to do."  
" I dont' blame her," carol said from somewhere in the room. Riley loved her then. She loved the woman she hardly knew and decided to trust her.  
" No one does, Carol," RIck said, running a hand through his hair.  
" How long ago was that, Riley?" A long time. But Riley guess that wasn't an appropriate answer.  
" Few months before winter I think." Rick walked to her and looked her in the face.  
" Well, you're safe here. You can stay. We'll..get you a gun and teach you right."  
" Seems to me she can defend herself plenty," Daryl said with a small smirk which riley returned.  
" Yeah. I can shoot a gun. And a bow and stuff like that. I'm pretty okay at huntin'" Rick shook his head.  
" you don't have to do all that anymore...just...just hang around Carl. Do what he does and soon enough you'll fit right in." Rick patted her boney shoulder and said something to the rest of the group about going on first watch. Carl grabbed her by the arm and dragged her around the cell block and gave her a 'room' that was right next to his.  
"C'mon. I'll show you the perimeter." for some reason it all seemed so unreal. So...fake. For a moment Riley wondered if she'd died. She shook that thought out of her head immediately as she grabbed her Cross Bow from where it had been placed by the cell block gate and followed Carl out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Riley didn't sleep a wink in the prison, and after six hours of trying she cursed and got out of bed, leaving the cell block to meander in the courtyard for a while before going through a hole she found in the outer fence to the woods. It was better there, where the silence was all surrounding and she could finally breathe. It was still dark, but she could manage just fine. All she had to do was listen. It wasn't long before she heard a rustling behind her, and she ran to the nearest tree. She was stupid for not bringing a weapon, but there was nothing wrong with waiting the Walker out in the tree, maybe she could even catch a bit of sleep. 

"What in God's name are you doing?" RIley jerked awake and fell half off of her tree branch, grabbing on at the last second as her legs dangled high above the ground. She looked down, angry until she saw Carol, looking half worried and half amused.

" Well I was sleeping, but now I'm dangling from a tree, no thanks to you." Rley hoisted herself up and over the branch so she could climb down properly. " And now, I'm showing you to the shack so I can get me things." She started walking, and Carol followed. 

" Riley, listen. I know you can take care of yourself out here, but you can't just leave like that. Rick won't allow it." Riley scoffed and wiped sweat from her brow.

" Rick ain't my daddy." Carol sighed.

" That's not the point. You want to stay with us, don't you?" Riley shrugged.

" It sure beats bein' alone I guess." They were coming up on the little shack, and Riley picked up the pace. She felt vulnerable without her bow. There was another one inside, a simple wooden hunting bow that was light and easy to carry.

" Then you have to follow the rules, just like me and everyone else." Riley nodded and ran a hand through her short curly hair. Now that she'd washed up it wasn't sticking up at every odd angle. 

"Here, we're gonna have to use these." Riley picked up a grubby shopping basket from the front porch of the shack and handed it to carol. " We'll load everything up on the four by four." Riley opened the door and waked in, immediately grabbing the large sack of acorns and a few loaves of bread wrapped in bandannas. She took one out and broke it in half.

" Want some?" Carol took the half and ripped a bit off.

" It's good," Riley rolled her eyes.

" Well duh, I made it. There's mason jars with Jam and stuff over there, if you could get them." She said, pointing to a far, dusty corner. It was then when Carol saw them. Dozens of little cannisters discarded under a table in a lone dresser drawer.  She picked one up and read the label.

"albuterol sulfate inhalation aerosol," She read aloud, Riley nodded.

" Asthma. Not bad, just get a little wheezy sometimes." She pulled on a bit of string that was around her neck and produced the pump that had a hole drilled in it. 

" Well that would have been good to know..." Carol muttered, throwing the empty thing away. " You have some that are full right?" Riley nodded.

" I have six of em, i'll need more in about three months, depending on pollen and smoke and stuff." After they'd gotten everything in the shopping baskets and then onto the four wheeler that was sitting in the back of the shack, they started the thing up.

" WHy didnt you ever use this before?" Carol asked, sliding onto the seat and grabbing a hold of the handle bars.

" I was scared. It makes a lot of noise and there are helluva lot of walkers round these parts. You gotta be careful." Carol nodded, and supposed it was a legitimate fear.

" Well, let's go then." 


	4. Whoops

Riley was sitting in a guard tower with Carl, bored out of her mind. Rick wouldn't let her do much else on the accusation that she needed 'rest'.   
" He's just trying to keep you safe, I know it's annoying, but that's all he's trying to do." Riley sighed and closed her eyes.   
" Yeah, I know. It feels weird, though. I was all by myself for a long time and I kinda got used to it." Carl shrugged and holstered his gun.   
" I guess it would. What was it like? Haec you been looking for Ricean?" RIley shrugged.   
" It's a really, really long walk into town. I had a bike and the four by four, but I never really had that sort of energy. It actually sucked really bad, being alone." Carl frowned. He thought it actually sounded pretty great, with no one to tell him what to do or when to shoot his gun.   
" Why?" Riley stared at him, making sure to give him the best 'you're a moron' look she could muster.   
" I was sick most the time. Eating acorn bread and squirrels doesn't quite keep the immune system up. I already had bronchitis when all this ..crap went down. I was lucky it didn't turn into pneumonia. I didn't get better though, I still have the stupid cough, and it's loud, some days I couldn't even get out for food because the stupid Walkers would her me caoughin' come running." Carl looked down, earlier thoughts on the benefits of being alone ground into dust.   
" Oh...you didn't find any medicine? You know, tha-" Riley answered quickly, knowing what carl was talking about.  
" I still have this thing, the inhaler, and it made stuff better, but damn it sucks to go out on runs for your own medicine, especially when you're short like me and can't reach shit." Carl snorted and shook his head.  
" Well your strong, I guess that's all that matter, huh?" Riley nodded and sighed.   
" Unfortunately." Carl got up from his spot next to her and went to the door.   
" I'm going to go check on judith and read or something. Coming?" Riley shook her head.  
" You go on. I'm gonna nap" The door shut and Riley leaned back. This was the safest she'd felt in a very long time. It was high up and only had one door, and it just felt good to be able to close her eyes and try not worry about what might be lurking. 

RIley was woken by somebody slamming the door to the lookout. The windows were dark, meaning she'd slept for a good while. her body was sore from sleeping on the hard floor, but it didn't matter, she felt /rested/ for the first time in a long time. Riley was surprised to find Maggie standing in the doorway. It was no secret that Riley wasn't Maggie's biggest fan, but Riley had no actual reason to care.   
" Hey," She said, rubbing her eyes and coughing into the back of her hand. The cough was ugly, and the loud barking noise was probably caused by bronchial spasms, as he doctor had once mentioned in a check up. There was no way of knowing now.   
" That's a nasty cough." Maggie commented, sitting next to her and handing her a bit of whatever they must have had for dinner.   
" You missed dinner, and lunch, and I didn't see you eat anything for breakfast." Riley was taken aback, she stared sluggishly at the bit of meat she'd been handed, perplexed.   
" It's not poisoned or anything," Maggie chuckled, and Riley even cracked a small smile.   
" know that..I was just wondering' why you're being so nice." Maggie looked genuinely saddened at her comment and shrugged.  
" I've been thinkin'..a lot about you. And about the things you told rick and Carl..and I felt bad." Riley stuffed a small bite into her mouth and frowned.   
" Why?"   
" Because I was so quick to judge you. Because you have this look, this 'princess and unicorns' look that isn't something most people have if they're still living. I thought you were hiding something, that you were secretly a murder and were going to cut us open in our beds." Riley scoffed.  
" That's a pretty paranoid way to think.." Maggie nodded, but continued.   
" Well that's the thing. There's//this guy. The Governor." Maggie's lips curled around the name as if it were a curse. " He's trying to take thi place from us, he wants us dead. We can't really trust anyone anymore." Riley just shook her head and shoved the last of the met into her mouth.  
" It's a shame you're just now learning that." She wiped her hands on her pants and stretched out on the floor. " I learned a long time ago, before any of this even started to happen."


	5. Outing

After about a week of hanging around the prison, Riley started to get antsy. She was well rested for the first time in nearly a year and had nothing to do with her new found energy, she killed every Walker she saw with her simple wooden hunting bow trying to get the target practice in. She was in the middle of drawing back the string when Daryl ( who'd attempted to sneak up on her, but failed, as Riley knew he was there the whole time) spoke up.  
" What is it with you?" Riley shot a hand made arrow into the head of a walker and pulled another and drew it.  
" What do you mean?" She said without looking back. Daryl stepped up next to her, taking an arrow from her sheath and examining it.  
" It's almost like you enjoy taking them out." Riley shrugged, she didn't care either way actually.  
" Dead is dead," Riley muttered, " and target practice." Daryl bent the arrow, giving a slightly satisfied 'humph' as he clipped it to the front of his crossbow.  
"You didn't answer the question." Riley sighed and lowered her bow.   
" Every walker I kill is just another one that's not my brother." She hadn't talked much about Ricean. No one had asked. it was sort of an unspoken rule. After all, she hadn't asked about Carl's mom, why should anyone ask about her brother? There was silence for a moment, and Riley huffed and sat down. She really missed him, Ricean. He was annoying and weak and nerdy, but she missed him so much it felt like there was a hole in her chest.   
" How long's he been missin'?" Daryl asked sitting down next to her, messing with a bit of the long grass that was by his feet.  
" Since the whole thing started. He..he wasn't with me when I ran. He was at some sort of club at school..I..I didn't wait for him." Riley was ashamed that she'd left her brother. he was her twin and maybe her only family left and she left him.  
"You gotta do what you have to to survive. It's not your fault he wasn't there when you left." Riley shook her head.  
" No, it's-" She coughed, the lump in her throat was making it hard to breathe.  
" He wasn't very big, you know? he was tiny and nerdy and so unathletic and out of shape he could hardly walk from the house to the mini mart with out having to take breaks. I didn't need breaks, and I was the loser with the inhaler." She chuckled a bit, then found it odd tat she was laughing at her brother's weakness in a time where strength meant life or death.  
"I was his protector," she went on " I was the one who got into fights, socked his bullies on the play ground. I was the one who played football and soccer and baseball and had all the friends and got invites to birthday parties and movies and sleepovers. I'm supposed to take care of him." Daryl looked at her for a moment. His gaze had a sort of quality to it, something that felt like he was seeing every time she ever pushed her brother down and called him a dork, judging her for not even thing about him as she climbed into the back of the old couple's minivan.   
" I left Merle." RIley was confused for a moment.   
" Wait, that asshole's your brother!?" She didn't see how they related. Merle had beat her to a pulp, Daryl had hardly even slapped the side of her face, and that was in self defence.   
" Yep, and it was his own fault I left him too. If he hadn't been such a crazy ass fool, he'd probably still have his hand." Riley shook her head and watched a hawk fly over the prison.  
" This is a good place." She said, changing the subject. Scratching the back of her head, praying that it wasn't lice that was making it itch.   
" It's okay. We've got to be careful though. Some asshole a few miles up is tryin' to take it. Some douche called the Governor. He killed two of our friends." Riley's brow furrowed.   
" Did he kill Mrs. Lori?" Daryl shook his head.   
" No, no..she died havin' the baby." It made Riley so very sad that Carl's little sister would never get to meet her mother, or her the sound of her voice or feel her touch. Sometimes it was those memories and those memories only that kept Riley going. It would be so easy to just end everything, easy, but not worth it. The word was shit but Riley was certain she could still make something of it if she tried hard enough.   
" That's sad." Riley muttered, picking up a ladybug and letting it crawl along her finger. Daryl looked away and at the sky. Thinking.   
" It is." His tone had a hint of sarcasm, and Riley rolled her eyes.  
" I mean, not much is sad any more. No one cries anymore. Everyone's just angry." It made sense, she knew, and Daryl looked at her as if she'd told him the cure for cancer.   
" You're a really weird kid, you know that?" Riley nodded, and Daryl left.   
As soon as his back was turned she went back to looking at the lady bug.   
" Lady bug, lady bug, fly away home" She sang quietly to herself. watching he little beetle scamper across her fingers. " Your house is on fire, all your children are gone." The bug tried to open it's wings to fly, but Riley grabbed them with her thumb and for finger and ripped them off. " All except one." She squashed the bug in her palm, then wiped it off in the grass.


	6. Bones

There was something about Carl's long lost friend that didn't add up in Beth's head. Riley was so skinny, and sick looking, but she's shown her how to make acorn bread, pancakes and muffins. She'd known how to hunt and trap rabbits, squirrels and birds. She had a hand written book about what plants were edible, and when plants weren't. So Beth decided to ask. Riley was sitting at a table in a prison, next to Judith who was in a high chair they'd gotten from a deserted wal-mart. She was eating some sort of berries, and every so often pressing one to Judith's mother so she could taste the juice and cringe at it's sourness, then hold her hand out for more.  
"Hi Riley." Beth said, sitting down next to the younger girl with a bowl of oatmeal for herself.  
"Um, Hi?" Riley was wearing a windbreaker and what looked like a pair of Carl's old jeans because Sophia's clothes were too small for her.  
" I was just wonderin', did you, you know, know how to do all that stuff the whole time you were out there?" Riley frowned and gave Judith another berry.  
" What stuff?" Riley offered her the rest of the berrie she had in the little handkerchief, and Beth accepted them gladly.  
" How to hunt, and track and make the acorn flour and what fruit you could eat." Riley nodded and took a swig of water.  
" Yeah, why?" Beth didn't exactly know how she could ask her question without scaring the kid away.  
" Why are you so thin, then? Didn't you eat?" Riley clammed up and looked away in shame.  
" I tried to die." She said quietly, looking at her hands. Beth was stunned into silence. Riley was no older than ten, and she had had to face everything all alone. It made her think of how she reacted to the reality of the mew world. How she decided that she didn't' want to deal with it. It made her feel bad for Riley, and more angry at herself.  
" I'm glad you didn't, I'm sure judith is too." Riley offered her a sad look and then stood up, pulling on a wind breaker and flinging her sheath over her shoulder.  
" Doe Judith need anything? Diapers..toys..baby food, maybe?" Beth tilted her head, confused.  
" Why? Is there gonna be a run today?" Riley nodded.  
" Yeah, I'm going with Glenn to pick up some stuff. Pans and better clothes and stuff." Beth frowned.  
' And Glenn's kay with that? Riley shrugged.  
" I told him I knew where he could get some of those smelly perfumes and lotions and stuff. He want it for Maggie." Beth smiled and shook her head.  
" You sure are a character. Baby food would be great." Riley nodded and turned to go and actually find Glenn.  
" Do you ant anything?" Beth took a moment and thought.  
" A book or note book or chocolate. Nothing if it'll get you hurt." Riley nodded and ran out of the prison, all too aware of the worn down soles of her converse.  
\----  
" Can you shoot a gun?" Rick was standing with Glenn and Riley outside of a car that was packed with a bit of food and bags to fil with supplies. He had a handgun in a hip strap slung over his shoulder.  
" Do you remember who my mother was?" Rick smiled and nodded, shaking his head.  
" You and your brother were in that shooting range more often than I was." Riley nodded.  
" You betcha." Rick handed her the gun and silence, and said some shit to Glenn about keeping her safe, to which she scoffed and roller her eyes at. When she climbed into the passenger side of the car, she was struck with a sudden yearning for the convenience of the working world. She missed riding in cars and getting slurpees from seven eleven with Ricean and Carl. She missed riding the late bus home after soccer and being the only girl who beat the shit out of Brett Coleman in second grade.  
" Earth to feral child," Glenn was waving a hand in front of her face, a small smile on his face.  
" What?" RIley asked, a bit peeved by the interruption of thought.  
" Where's that store?" As Riley gave directions, and they ere on their way, she started fading in and out of day dreams. She wanted to go to the beach. She'd been born in Hawaii to native parents, and she missed the place dearly, the little she remembered of it. Her father died when she was two and that was when he mother moved them to Georgia.  
" So..." Glen looked at her from the corner of his eye as he drove down the empty road, Riley looked out he window, unmoved by the destruction she saw.  
" Why'd you wanna come, and how the hell did you get Rick to let you?" Riley shrugged and scratched her head.  
" He knows I can take care of myself in the event of an emergency. Also, I'm good at finding stuff people need." Glenn nodded and looked over at her for a moment.  
" I'm good at finding stuff too you know." Riley sighed and rolled her eyes.  
" You know I think that was thought through. I'm pretty sure that's why I'm going with you instead of Carol." Glenn raised his eyebrows and turned his attention back to the road.  
" Smartass" Riley gave him a huge, bratty, mocking smile.  
"That's my name, don't wear it out" They pulled into the lot of the general store, and Riley slipped out and yawned. She was getting tired again, and hungry, but she knew they'd find something in the store, so she wasn't worried.  
" Wow this place is...in tact." Glenns said, grabbing a rusty cart and pushing it to the store front.  
" Yeah, I know." Riley climbed up to the shops second story window and wiggled through it. It was a depot store, and had a few levels of storage for non perishable items that restaurants and school cafeterias used for meals.  
"It's heaven." they walked around the store, putting thing after thing into bags and carts. Riley got herself some clothes. Two pairs of overalls and a few short and long sleeved shirts. She got Judith a few toys and teething tablets, she even found baby motrin, and was very proud. She then stuffed just about a whole other bag with candy. Chocolate bars and sour patch kids..she knew it was stupid and a waste of space, but she missed the way sweet things tasted. She also got a book for Beth, and a few notebooks and pens. By time she'd gotten everything she wanted, Glenn got what he'd come for, and they were back at the car putting everything in the back.  
"You really look out for people around here," Glenn said, looking at the baby toys and medicine, and the things she'd gotten for Beth. " Why?" it was an odd question.  
" Why not? I'm pretty grateful that I wasn't raped and chopped up into barbeque, I figured I could show a little thanks for that." Glenn didn't seem to know how to respond. He looked like he wanted to chuckle, but understood that Riley's fears were not irrational. So he just nodded and got back into the car, which he hadn't even turned on before there were shots fired.


End file.
